10+2
update: Mitigation guidelines posted
Piracy update: Attacks still persist
United
States and Japan align cargo security programs
U.S. government works toward
improving safety
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Piracy
update: Attacks still persist
Efforts to stop piracy off the coast of
Somalia are beginning to show some success, but there is an
international consensus that more must be done.
There are disagreements on the best way to tackle the piracy
problem. The International Association of Independent Tanker
Owners (INTERTANKO) asserts that arming vessels would not
protect against future attacks and could actually escalate
violence. Instead, the group promotes the use of government
armed guards sourced from the ship’s flag state.
In May, Somalia appealed for international assistance to
help deal with the country’s piracy problems. Now, two dozen
ships from European Union nations patrol an area of about
two million square miles. The countries agreed to extend the
operation until the end of 2010, saying that “piracy off the
coast of Somalia is likely to remain a serious threat.” The
United States is also intensifying its efforts to persuade
countries to prosecute pirates and is also conducting active
naval patrol interventions.
Acts of piracy more than doubled solely in the Gulf of Aden
during 2008, but total attacks have decreased overall since
2003 as the chart below indicates. The Gulf of Aden
area spans the Horn of Africa and Somalia’s north coast. The
area is a vital shipping lane connecting the Middle East,
Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Analysts fear that continued piracy attacks may go
unreported. Some ship owners may prefer not to report
relatively small losses or attempted attacks because they
worry about clean records and delays. The International
Maritime Bureau (IMB) warns that a failure to report even a
minor or failed attack makes it harder to raise public
awareness and pressure governments to take action against
pirates. The IMB estimates that more than half of pirate
attacks are not reported. The bureau recorded 239 pirate
attacks as of July 1 this year, with more than half from
Somali pirates.
Educate your customers on the threat of piracy and give them
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Cargo Insurance program to benefit your business and your
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